Forensic experts filled body bags with charred human remains in the field where the explosion occurred on Friday evening by the town of Tlahuelilpan in the state of Hidalgo, in one of the deadliest incidents to hit Mexico's troubled oil infrastructure in years. A number of people at the scene told Reuters that local shortages in gasoline supply since Lopez Obrador launched a drive to stamp out fuel theft had encouraged the rush to the gushing pipeline. "Everyone came to see if they could get a bit of gasoline for their car, there isn't any in the gas stations," said farmer Isaias Garcia, 50.

Google has kicked off 2019 by getting hit with yet another multimillion-dollar fine from a European regulator.
Stemming from an investigation that began in May -- the day after Europe's strict new data privacy rules known as GDPR went into effect -- France's data protection authority has announced a $57 million fine against Google in the first such GDPR penalty levied against a US technology company. In a statement explaining the action, the French agency known as the CNIL noted that the fine is a result of deficiencies that include Google not being clear enough about the way user data is handled to present personalized ads.
The CNIL's statement goes on to note that "the infringements observed deprive the users of essential guarantees regarding processing operations that can reveal important parts of their private life since they are based on a huge amount of data, a wide variety of services and almost unlimited possible combinations." The penalty is also connected to the way the French agency sees Google as not being clear enough in a broad sense about how user data is collected and how it's subsequently used.
Google released a statement saying it hasn't decided yet whether to appeal this punishment, which certainly didn't come as a surprise. Once the General Data Protection Regulation, known as GDPR for short, went into effect in Europe last year, it was regarded as only a matter of time before regulators there would use the stricter privacy framework to push back on tech giants in a way that's not happening in the US.
The CNIL statement goes on to provide context for the fine against Google by noting that "This is the first time that the CNIL applies the new sanction limits provided by the GDPR. The amount decided, and the publicity of the fine, are justified by the severity of the infringements observed regarding the essential principles of the GDPR -- transparency, information and consent."
Google, for its part, acknowledged that "high standards" of transparency and control are expected of the company by the public and that Google is "committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR." The new fine, however, is yet another example of European-led pushback against the search giant, which has also come under fire from EU officials over antitrust concerns.
Along those lines, the EU hit Google with a record-setting $5 billion fine last year for antitrust issues related to its Android mobile operating system.

BEIJING (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:

A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit north-central Chile on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, with police reporting the deaths of two people from heart attacks. The quake struck at a depth of 53 kilometers (33 miles) with an epicenter some 15 km southwest of Coquimbo, USGS said. An elderly man and an elderly woman from Coquimbo suffered cardiac arrests as a result of the quake, police said, while there were several landslides reported on national highways.

The Duke of Edinburgh could be sent on a drivers’ awareness course, it has emerged, as police continue to investigate a crash which left two women hospitalised. The Duke, 97, is understood to have no intention of giving up driving, having been photographed on public roads driving a new car less than 48 hours after the accident. He is understood to be complying with a Norfolk Police investigation, which will see him interviewed about what happened. Two women, aged 45 and 28, will also be asked for their recollections of the accident, after their Kia Carens collided with the Duke’s Land Rover Freelander on the A149 on Thursday. Both police and palace have emphasised that the investigation will be conducted in the same way as any other traffic accident, despite one of the involved parties being married to the Queen. That process would see him interviewed in the coming days, before police officers recommend whether to proceed with charging anyone involved. The scene of the crash, on the A149 at Sandringham The Duke has already passed an eye test as part of the investigation, celebrating by defiantly driving himself around the public roads near to Sandringham alone less than 48 hours after the accident. He was caught on camera driving in dark glasses without wearing a seatbelt, in a gesture that has been criticised by onlookers. A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: “We are aware of the photograph. “Suitable words of advice have been given to the driver and this is in line with our standard response when being made aware of or receiving such images showing this type of offence.” The law states that drivers can be fined up to £500 if caught without a seatbelt. The Duke of Edinburgh drives the Queen and Barack and Michelle Obama during their visit to Windsor Credit: Geoff Pugh If the Duke was found to be at fault for the Sandringham accident, he could be charged with driving without due care and attention, which carries a maximum penalty of nine points on a driving record and a £5,000 fine. It is thought unlikely that a prosecution would come to court. A police source said yesterday that non-royal drivers involved in a similar collision would more likely be offered a drivers’ awareness course, with improving their motoring skills considered more in the public interest than a court case. The Duke reportedly said "I'm such a fool" after being pulled from his wrecked Land Rover Freelander on Thursday after it flipped on its side following the collision with a Kia close to Sandringham. Witnesses claim he had told police at the scene he had been “dazzled” by the low sun at 2.45pm. A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: “As is standard procedure with injury collisions, the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken.”

A white high school student seen with classmates appearing to confront a Native American Vietnam veteran near the Lincoln Memorial says video of the incident that went viral gives the false impression that the teens were instigators. Linda So reports.

Harris, 54, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, enters the race with the potential advantage of being the Democratic candidate who looks most like the party's increasingly diverse base of young, female and minority voters. "This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are," Harris said on ABC's "Good Morning America" in announcing her candidacy. Harris, who made history in 2016 as the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California, timed her announcement for the U.S. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader.

The pound recovered ground Monday after British Prime Minister Theresa May said she plans to return to Brussels to discuss changes to the Brexit deal she agreed with EU leaders last month despite an overwhelming rejection of the draft text by MPs last week. There was mixed news out of China, with official data showing the country's economic growth at its slowest pace in 28 years offsetting a report that the country has offered to eliminate its massive trade surplus with the United States -- easing trade war tensions between the world's two biggest economies. "Unless the British PM intends to commit political suicide, an extension request is the most likely scenario and the EU will most probably agree, which should be a positive development that will take the pound towards $1.30 again," predicted Konstantinos Anthis, Head of Research at ADSS.